an own goal

an own goal

1. In sports, a goal that a player accidentally scores for the opposing team. I can't believe we lost the championship because of an own goal.I was trying to get the puck out of our zone, but I scored an own goal—how mortifying!

2. An action pursued because it seems beneficial but that ultimately has a detrimental effect. Sheila's speech was supposed to win her more supporters, but it became an own goal once she started ranting off-topic.The law seemed promising, but it has generated such strong opposition that it's become an own goal for the president.

an own goal

BRITISH

COMMON An own goal is a course of action which is intended to bring you an advantage and which instead causes a problem for you. It was a classic own goal by the fashion house. They brought their prices down to attract more customers but lost the high-end customers that they already had. Note: In sports such as football and hockey, if someone scores an own goal, they accidentally score a goal for the team they are playing against by knocking the ball into their own net.

Looking back across the decades, the name Glenn Keeley will be recalled by older Mags for a real howler of an own goal in the Tees-Tyne derby on January 31, 1976, which effectively deprived the Toon of a 3-2 win at Ayresome Park.

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